About Fashion Teen Magazines

Teen fashion magazines are one way for a teen, preteen or tween girl to keep up with current styles. These magazines are usually published monthly and contain uplifting stories, dating advice, dieting tips and celebrity gossip, all of which are geared toward teens. Teen fashion magazines are available in print or online.

Teen fashion magazines have been around since the early 1900s. The Girl Scouts published one of the first teen magazines, "American Girl," in the 1920s. In the 1930s, "Ladies' Home Journal" recognized that teen girls were a lucrative market and published "Sub-Deb." "Seventeen" debuted in 1944 and is recognized as the longest-published teen magazine.

Teen fashion magazines place the main focus on fashion. However, advice about problems a teen might face during everyday life is usually included in the magazine. Parents should skim through a magazine before handing it over to a teen to ensure the advice goes along with their family's values.

Most of the fashions shown in teen fashion magazines are knockoffs of items that young stars wore recently. However, some are presented according to what clothing designers are releasing during the season. For example, a fashion editor might see a shirt she likes that is being released by a designer. She will then scour other items to determine what clothing will look good with that shirt.

Many outfits in teen fashion magazines are expensive. However, some magazines have begun putting cheaper outfits between their covers because parents usually aren't willing to spend outrageous amounts on a teen's clothing. In some magazines, teens can get ideas about how to copy a popular look without spending a lot of money. "Teen Vogue" has a "Get the Look" segment that helps teens (and parents) learn how to get stylish looks without spending a lot of money.

Most teen fashion magazines have giveaways each month. These giveaways are usually co-sponsored by an advertiser. The advertiser hopes that once the teen tries its products, she will continue to buy them. However, many of these products are expensive. A sample prize might be a designer makeup kit with a retail value of more than $500. In this case, it is probably unrealistic for the advertiser to think the teen will replace every item once they are all used. However, the companies usually hope the teen will purchase at least one favorite item.